A man remembered for devoting his life to social justice, Martin Luther King Jr. has inspired many for his passion, leadership, and dedication to civil rights and nonviolent activism during the 1950s and 60s.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day became a National Holiday in 1986 but was not enacted in all 50 states until 1999. It occurs on the third Monday of January, in order to be close to King’s birthday on January 15th.

“The greatest birthday gift my husband could receive is if people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds celebrated the holiday by performing individual acts of kindness through service to others,” Coretta Scott King is quoted saying on MLKDay.gov.

How will your class celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day?